Safety razor



Nov. 10, 1936. E. E. JOHNSON, JR 2,060,321

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Feb. 18, 1936 INVENTQR 15 E/Merl'? .falznaom-fir Wm M ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 10, 1 936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY RAZOR Elmer E. Johnson, Jr., North Tarrytown, N. Y. Application February 18, 1936, Serial No. 64,465 13 Claims. (01. 30-58) The present invention relates to safety razors and has for a general object the provision of such a razor which is characterized by simplicity of construction, efliciency in operation, and allows economical use. of a new blade for each shave.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of such an economically and easily constructed razor which includes a guard provided with a blade-seating face and a cap hinged thereto by at least one hinge-arm in a manner to form a double-jointed structure, preferably a piano-hinge structure, which will efficiently receive a resilient, thin, relatively cheap blade and effectively clamp it in operable position by simple reciprocative movement of the cap in a manner so that tendencies of a thin blade to vibrate are efficiently reduced or eliminated.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away of one embodiment of the safety razor holder of the present invention showing a blade associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a top away of the head of the safety blade shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 2 with the cap retracted to free the blade;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view with parts broken away of a modified form of the safety razor of the present invention showing a blade associated therewith;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view with parts broken away of the structure shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of the blade supporting portion of the guard, the blade and the front portion of the clamping cap of the structures shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inelusive; and

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic illustration of the clamping operation of the head of the safety razor holder of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention a plan view with parts broken razor holder and to like parts throughout.

mounted in a similar manner safety razor is provided which consists of a holder having a head with a handle secured thereto, the head by virtue of its construction being adapted to receive and efficiently hold in operable position a thin single-edged blade, cheap enough to make economically possible the use of a new blade for each shave. The simple construction of the head is featured by a guard provided with a' blade-seating face and a clamping cap hinged to the rear portion of the guard by at least one hinge-arm to form a double-jointed structure termed herein a piano-hinge structure whereby the cap may be caused to move reciprocatively toward and away from the blade-seating face. With the use of suitable restraining means upon the guard, the front portion of the cap, when advanced, will clamp the blade securely upon the blade-seating-face in a manner substantially to reduce or practically to eliminate any tendency of the thin blade to vibrate and may to retract so that the blade may be removed and another blade inserted therein.

The means whereby the blade may be securely clamped upon the guard or released for removal consists essentially of a so-called piano-hinge" connection between the guard and the cap in conjunction with restraining means by which the forward or unhinged portions of the guard and cap are wedged together against opposite sides of the blade when the cap is in the advanced position and by which the parts may be released from this Wedging action when the cap is moved to a rearward position. To achieve this purpose it is essential that there be proper proportioning and positioning of the cap, of the guard, of the intervening hinge-arm or plate which is hinged to both, and of the restraining means, so that these parts have substantially the relation shown in the accompanying drawing. The method of operation will be in part obvious from the draw.- ing and in part explain in greater detail hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing like numerals refer The holder consists of a handle I upon which is threadedly mounted a head 2 consisting of a guard 3, supported at an angle upon a threaded extension 4, and of a cap 5. The cap 5 has its rear edge normally elevated above the guard and hinged at l8 to a plate member 6 which in turn is hinged at 2| to the rear portion of the guard 3 to form a pianohinge structure. Obviously, the cap 5 may be be caused "20 determining proper proportions and the mode of upon the guard 3 by one or more arms in substitution for the plate member 6.

The guard 3 is provided at its forward edge with a plurality of the usual guard serrations 1-I adjacent which is located a blade-seating face 8. An abutment 9 to limit rearward movement of the blade joins with the rear edge of the blade-seating face 8 as shown. Abutment 9 is preferably sloped to the rear as shown to accommodate and wedge forward blades of slightly differing widths. To limit forward movement of the blade, a pair of stops I0, I0, preferably hookshaped, are provided on the front edge of the guard 3, preferably adjacent the side edges thereof. Transverse movement of the blade may be prevented by any suitable means, such as for example a tapered projection II of any desired shaped, preferably wedge-shaped, which fits within a notch I2 of corresponding shape in a blade I3. The front edge of the projection is tapered, preferably to less than the thickness of the blade, as is shown in Fig. 6, to avoid possible interference with the desired movement and pressure of cap on blade, when blades of slightly varying thicknesses are used.

The blade I 3 is of economical construction being formed of thin, resilient steel provided with one cutting edge I4. In the preferred form the blade is about 1 inches long, 5% inch wide and about .006 inch thick. To make possible the use of blades which vary slightly in thickness, the recess in the guard formed by the blade-seating face 8 and the face 9 is preferably deeper than the usual thickness of the blade as is more clearly shown in Fig. 6 wherein the thicknesses of the blade and parts of the razor associated therewith have been exaggerated for clarity.

To allow ready removal of the razor blade I3 from the blade-seating face 8, notches I5, I5 are formed in opposite edges of the guard 3 so that opposite ends of the blade may be readily grasped with the fingers.

On opposite sides of the guard 3, preferably to the rear of the blade-seating face 8, are provided overhanging restraining members I6, I6. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, these restraining members I6, I6 have their end portions I1, I1 overhanging the upper surface of the cap 5 as shown to limit the movement of the cap 5 to reciprocative movement toward and away from blade-seating face 8 when the cap 5 is hinged upon the guard 3 through the medium of the plate member 6 and to hold cap 5 firmly against blade I4 when the blade is upon the seating face 8. The lateral location of members I6, I6 serves also to limit the lateral movement of the cap 5.

It will be understood that the length of the guard 3 from the front edge to the point where the plate member 6 is hinged thereto, the length of the cap 5, the length of the plate member 5, the distance between the guard and the lower or binding surfaces of the overhanging portions I1, I! of the restraining members I6, I 6 and the locations of the members I6, I6 are relatively critical. In particular, it is necessary that these parts be of such relative size and position that when the blade is being clamped as shown in Fig. 4, the hinge I8 shall be elevated substantially above the guard 3, and preferably located forward of a line drawn perpendicular to the guard 3 at the point of the hinge 2 I. When so proportioned the parts of the razor are capable of movement at the desire of the user either into the clamping position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 or into the retracted and loosened position shown in Fig. 3.

This operation and the relation of the parts is further illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 7 as follows: Here A represents the position of the hinge point I8 and B of the forward edge I9 of the cap 5, when the parts are in the loosened or retracted position shown in Fig. 3, although it is obvious that the hinge I8 may be still further swung to the left about the hinge 2| if desired. It will be noted that with the parts located in this retracted position the cap 5 is free from the restraining means I1 indicated at C, and is either entirely free from the blade I3 as shown (and as preferred) or at least merely rests loosely upon the rear edge of the blade without the power to restrain removal of the blade. When it is desired to clamp the blade I3 in the position shown, the hinge I8 is swung to the right to the position D, about the hinge 2I, thus causing the forward edge I9 of the cap 5 to take the position shown at E, and causing an elevated portion of the cap 5 to approach point C. It will be noted that with the parts in this position the hinge I8 is still substantially above the guard 3 and that the edge I9 of the cap 5 has now come into contact with the upper surface of the blade. If the hinge I8 is now moved forward further from the point D to the point F, the front edge I9 of the cap 5 moved forward over the upper surface of the blade I3 and the upper surface of the cap is forced firmly against the lower surfaces of the restraining means I1, I! at C so that with this point C as a fulcrum the edge I9, now in the position indicated at G, is forced firmly upon the upper surface of the blade I3 and holds it immovable against the guard 3. The action is reversed for freeing the blade.

When the parts are in clamping position as shown in Fig. 4, they have a tendency to retain that position by reason of the friction between the binding surfaces of the restraining means I7, I1, and the underlying portion of the cap 5 together with the friction existing at the hinges I8 and 2|. It is desirable, however, to increase this tendency by making either the cap 5 or the plate 6 or both of them of resilient material. It would be possible, but less desirable to provide such resiliency instead in the guard member 3. This resiliency should not be so great as to cause any substantial yielding or vibration of the cap or guard between the means I6 and the point I 9.

The proper angles to be formed at each of the three intersections of the cap 5, the plate 6, and the guard 3 (with the blade I3 in position) when in the clamping position shown in Fig. 4, may be readily determined from the following principles. The greater the angle between cap 5 and plate 6, the further forward must be located the restraining means I6, I B and the more effective will be the holding power of the structure to retain the parts in this position. On the other hand, it is undesirable to have the angle between the cap 5 and the plate 6 so obtuse as to make cap 5 too nearly parallel to guard 3, since this will weaken the pressure exerted by the cap edge I9 upon the blade I3 and permit greater vibration of the blade. At the other extreme, it has been found undesirable to make a greater angle between guard 3 and the plate 6 than between the plate 5 and the cap 5 when the parts are in clamping position, since this reduces the tendency to retain that relation and may necessitate some additional means to hold the parts in clamped position.

The slotting of the guard to form serrations 7 1-1 is preferably terminated short of the maximum forward position of the front edge I!) of the cap 5, as is indicated in Fig. 6, so that a continuous surface is provided beneath the blade 13 at this point. By virtue of this fact and the line contact between the front edge IQ of the cap and the top of the blade l3 approximately at the middle of the blade transversely or slightly forward thereof any tendency of the thin blade to vibrate is substantially eliminated or so reduced as to be harmless.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the overhanging restraining members I6, l6 are foreshortened and the overhanging portions H, H are caused to engage the upper surfaces of projecting portions 20, 20 formed on the opposite edges of the cap 5. By virtue of this structure the overhanging portions ll, H are caused to lie below the upper surface of the main body of the cap 5 and in addition the cap 5 can be freed from the restraining members I6, I6 as it is retracted so that it may be swung away from the guard 3 for cleaning the interior of the razor head and the like. Although in the preferred form it is desired to use restraining members similar to those shown in the drawing, a like result may be obtained by a variety of structures such as a headed pin located in a slot in the cap 5 and fixed to the guard whereby the upper surface of the cap 5 is caused to ride beneath the head of the pin.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above are efficiently attained by the structure of the safety razor of the present invention, particularly since the razor can be easily and economically constructed and operated in a simple manner efficiently to clamp in operable position a thin, flexible, cheaply produced blade which will allow economical use of a new blade for each shave.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-seating face, a blade seated on said face, a clamping cap, at least one hinge-arm hinged to a back portion of said cap and to a back portion of said guard to form a double hinge-jointed structure, and restraining means having binding surfaces to restrict movement of said cap to reciprocation toward and away from said face whereby said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

2. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-seating face, a clamping cap hinged to a back portion of said guard by a piano-hinge structure, and restraining means on said guard having binding surfaces to restrict movement of said cap to reciprocation toward and away from said face whereby said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

3. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-seating face, a blade seated on said face, a clamping cap, at least one hinge-arm hinged to a back portion of said cap and to a back portion of said guard to form a double hinge-jointed structure, and restraining members extending from the sides of said guard shaped to provide binding surfaces to cooperate with said cap to restrict movement thereof to reciprocation toward and away from said face whereby said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

4. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-seating face, a clamping cap hinged to' a back portion of said guard by a piano-hinge structure, and members extending from the sides of said guard shaped to provide binding surfaces to cooperate with said cap to restrict movement thereof to reciprocation toward and away from said face whereby said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

5. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-seating face, overhanging restraining members extending from the sides thereof having binding surfaces, a blade seated on said face, and a clamping cap hinged to a back portion of said guard by a piano-hinge structure whereby the binding surfaces of said restraining members restrict movement of said cap to reciprocation toward and away from said face so that said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

6. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-seating face, overhanging restraining members extending from the sides thereof having binding surfaces, a blade seated on said face, and a clamping cap hinged to a back portion of said guard by a piano-hinge structure with the front portion thereof positioned beneath the binding surfaces of said restraining members to restrict movement thereof to reciprocation toward and away from said face so that said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

'7. A safety razor comprising a guard secured to a handle and having guard serrations and a blade-seating face adjacent thereto, a blade seated on said face having a cutting edge positioned adjacent said serrations, means to prevent both transverse and longitudinal movement of said blade relative to said face, a clamping cap, at least one hinge-arm hinged to a back portion of said cap and to a back portion of said guard to form a double hinge-jointed structure, and restraining means having binding surfaces to restrict movement of said cap to reciprocation toward and away from said face whereby said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

8. A safety razor comprising a guard secured to a handle and having guard serrations and a blade-seating face adjacent thereto a blade seated on said face having a cutting edge positioned adjacent said serrations, means to prevent both transverse and longitudinal movement of said blade relative to said face, a clamping cap hinged to a back portion of said guard by a piano-hinge structure, and restraining means on said guard having binding surfaces to restrict movement of said cap to reciprocation toward and away from said face whereby said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

9. A safety razor comprising a guard secured to a handle and having guard serrations and a blade-seating lface adjacent thereto, a blade! seated on said face having a cutting edge positioned adjacent said serrations, means to prevent both transverse and longitudinal movement of said blade relative to said face, a clamping cap, at least one hinge-arm hinged to a back portion of said cap and to a back portion of said guard to form a double hinge-jointed structure, and restraining members extending from the sides of said guard shaped to provide binding surfaces to cooperate with said cap to restrict movement thereof to reciprocation toward and away from said face whereby said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

10. A safety razor comprising a guard secured to a handle and having guard serrations and a blade-seating face adjacent thereto, a blade seated on said face having a cutting edge positioned adjacent said serrations, means to prevent both transverse and longitudinal movement of said blade relative to said face, a clamping cap hinged to a back portion of said guard by a piano-- hinge structure, and restraining members extending from the sides of said guard shaped to provide binding surfaces to cooperate with said cap to restrict movement thereof to reciprocation toward and away from said face whereby said blade may be clamped against said face by a front portion of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade.

11. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-seating face and guard serrations, a blade seated on said face having a cutting edge positioned adjacent said serrations, means to prevent both transverse and longitudinal movement of said blade relative to said face, a clamping cap, a plate hinged to the back edge of said cap and to the back edge of said guard to form a pianohinge structure, and overhanging restraining members extending from the sides of said guard to the rear of said face and having the lower surfaces of their overhanging portions constituting binding surfaces to engage upper surfaces at the sides of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade; said guard, cap, plate and members being of such relative lengths and so positioned as to allow the front edge of said cap to he slid back away from said face to uncover said blade and forward toward said face to clamp said blade against said face when the upper surface of said cap engages said binding surfaces as the front edge of said cap reaches approximately the middle of said blade.

12. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-seating face and guard serrations, a blade seated on said face having a cutting edge positioned adjacent said serrations, means to prevent transverse movement of said blade, a wedging face to the rear of said seating face engaging the rear edge of said blade, stops limiting the forward movement of said blade, a clamping cap, a plate hinged to the back edge of said cap and to the back edge of said guard to form a pianohinge structure, and overhanging restraining members extending from the sides of said guard to the rear of said seating face and having the lower surfaces of their overhanging portions constituting binding surfaces to engage upper surfaces at the sides of said cap when the latter is slid forward over said blade; said guard, cap, plate and members being of such relative lengths and so positioned as to allow the front edge of said cap to be slid back away from said seating face to uncover said blade and forward toward said seating face to clamp said blade against said seating face when the upper surface of said cap engages said bin-ding surfaces as the front edge of said cap reaches approximately the middle of said blade.

13. A safety razor comprising a head including a guard having a blade-seating face, a plate hinged to the rear portion of said guard, a cap having its rear edge hinged to said plate, said guard and cap being of relatively greater lengths than said plate whereby the front portion of said cap meets said guard at an acute angle, at least one restraining member on said guard having a binding surface adapted to engage the upper surface of said cap when the latter is slid forward with its front edge riding over the top surface of a blade. seated on said face and to cause the front edge of said cap to clamp said blade 'on said face as said cap is slid forward, said cap being adapted to be slid back so that its upper surface will disengage said binding surface and the front edge will move to the rear beyond the blade-seating surface to free the blade.

ELMER E. JOHNSON, JR. 

